A vehicle may include one or more imaging devices for capturing images from the vehicle. Captured images, might include images of the vehicle's surroundings, such as the vehicle's surroundings to the rear, the sides and/or to the front of the vehicle. Images may be captured from a vehicle for a variety of different reasons. In general, images captured from a vehicle may be used to display all or part of an image to a human (such as a driver of the vehicle) and/or may be used for automated image analysis (e.g. performed by an electronic processor). The use of a captured image for display to a human may be referred to as human vision. The use of a captured imaged for performing automated image analysis may be referred to as computer vision.
Human vision applications of an image captured from a vehicle may include displaying a captured image to an occupant of the vehicle, such as a driver of the vehicle. Displaying an image to a driver of the vehicle may improve the driver's awareness of the surroundings of the vehicle. For example, a displayed image may include aspects of the surroundings of the vehicle which are not otherwise clearly visible to the driver. In one such example, an image of the surroundings to the rear of the vehicle may be displayed to a driver whilst the vehicle is reversing. This may improve the driver's ability to successfully manoeuvre the vehicle whilst reversing.
Computer vision applications of an image captured from a vehicle may include analysing an image (e.g. by an electronic processor) in order to determine relevant information from the image. For example, an image may be analysed so as to detect the presence of objects in the vicinity of the vehicle such as another vehicle, a pedestrian, a curb, a wall, markings on a road, a road sign etc. Detection of such objects may be used to alert a driver of the vehicle to the presence of such objects or to information related to the objects. For example, the driver may be alerted to the presence of an object with which the vehicle may collide with and/or may be presented with relevant information determined from analysis of an image, such as a speed limit displayed by a road sign or a distance to an object. Additionally or alternatively detection of such objects may be input to an autonomous driving system which may control one or more aspects of movement of the Vehicle. For example, the speed with which the vehicle travels may be controlled in dependence on one or more objects detected in a captured image, such as the presence and speed of other vehicles on the road, a speed limit determined from a road sign in the image and/or the presence of an obstruction such as a pedestrian in the road. Additionally or alternatively, the direction in which the vehicle travels may be controlled in dependence on one or more objects detected in a captured image, such as lane markings on a road, a curb and/or the presence of obstructions such as other vehicles, a wall, a post etc.
One or more desirable properties of an image may be different for human vision applications and computer vision applications. For example, an image to be used for human vision applications may be enhanced for display to a human. Such enhancement may include performing one or more image processing techniques designed to improve human perception of aspects of the image when displayed to a human. However, such enhancement which may be performed for human vision applications may not be desirable for the purposes of computer vision applications. For example, image enhancement for human vision applications may in some instances lead to undesirable detection errors occurring when an image enhanced for human vision applications is used for computer vision applications.
In order to circumvent a difference in requirements for computer vision and human vision requirements, separate images may be captured, for example using separate imaging devices, for computer vision and human vision applications. However, such an approach increases an amount of hardware required as well an amount of power consumed in order to provide both human vision and computer vision image functionality.
It is an object of embodiments of the invention to at least mitigate or obviate one or more problems associated with the prior art, whether identified herein or otherwise.